Very Short Reflections—for Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, Ordinary Time, and Saints—through the Liturgical Year
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The short reflections are based on sets of Mass texts--Entrance Antiphon, Collect, Prayer over the Offerings, Preface, Communion Antiphon, Prayer after Communion, and Prayer over the People--presented for every day of Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, Ordinary Time and saints in The Roman Missal. The reflection identifies the theme of the day and presents how it is manifested in the Mass texts. These very short reflections are designed to expose to the reader the liturgical spirituality that emanates from the Mass texts.
Mark G. Boyer
Mark G. Boyer, a well-known spiritual master, has been writing books on biblical, liturgical, and devotional spirituality for over fifty years. He has authored seventy previous books, including two books of history and one novel. His work prompts the reader to recognize the divine in everyday life. This is his thirtieth Wipf and Stock title.
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Very Short Reflections—for Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, Ordinary Time, and Saints—through the Liturgical Year - Mark G. Boyer
Very Short Reflections
—for Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter,Ordinary Time, and Saints—
through the Liturgical Year
Mark G. Boyer
Very Short Reflections
—for Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, Ordinary Time, and Saints—through the Liturgical Year
Copyright ©
2020
Mark G. Boyer. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers,
199
W.
8
th Ave., Suite
3
, Eugene, OR
97401
.
The Scripture quotations used in chapters
1
through
6
are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright ©
1989
by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Scripture quotations in chapter
7
are from the Contemporary English Version, copyright ©
1995
by the American Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Wipf & Stock
An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers
199
W.
8
th Ave., Suite
3
Eugene, OR
97401
www.wipfandstock.com
paperback isbn: 978-1-7252-7107-4
hardcover isbn: 978-1-7252-7108-1
ebook isbn: 978-1-7252-7109-8
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
05/13/20
Dedicated to
St. Joachim High School Class of
1968
:
Marilyn Bone (Pinson)
JoAnn Bone (Kelly)
John Boyer
Michael Coleman
Jerry DeClue
Robert Finch
Wayne Koch
James Pashia
Mary Ann Politte (Pratt)
Geraldine Sampson (Willert)+
Kenny Sansoucie+
Catherine Singer
George Wall+
+ = deceased
Advent has a twofold character, for it is a time of preparation for the solemnities of Christmas, in which the first coming of the Son of God to humanity is remembered, and likewise a time when, by remembrance of this, minds and hearts are led to look forward to Christ’s second coming at the end of time. For these two reasons, Advent is a period of devout and expectant delight.
—Universal Norms,
par. 39.
. . . [T]he Church has no more ancient custom than celebrating the memorial of the Nativity of the Lord and of his first manifestations, and this takes place in Christmas Time.
—Universal Norms,
par. 32.
Lent is ordered to preparing for the celebration of Easter, since the Lenten liturgy prepares for celebration of the Paschal Mystery [by] . . . the faithful, who recall their own Baptism and do penance.
—Universal Norms,
par. 27.
. . . [T]he sacred Paschal Triduum of the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord shines forth as the high point of the entire liturgical year.
—Universal Norms,
par. 18.
The fifty days from the Sunday of the Resurrection to Pentecost Sunday are celebrated in joy and exultation as one feast day, indeed as one ‘great Sunday’.
—Universal Norms,
par. 22.
Besides the times of year that have their own distinctive character, there remains in the yearly cycle thirty-three or thirty-four weeks in which no particular aspect of the mystery of Christ is celebrated, but rather the mystery of Christ itself is honored in it fullness, especially on Sundays. This period is known as Ordinary Time.
—Universal Norms,
par. 43.
Table of Contents
title Page
through the Liturgical Year
Abbreviations
Notes on the Bible and The Roman Missal
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Advent Season
Chapter 2: The Christmas Season
Chapter 3: The Lenten Season
Chapter 4: The Sacred Paschal Triduum
Chapter 5: The Easter Season
Chapter 6: Season of Ordinary Time
Chapter 7: Saints during the Liturgical Year
Bibliography
Recent Books by Mark G. Boyer
Abbreviations
ca. circa, around
cf. confer, see by way of comparison
CE Common Era (same as AD, Anno Domini, in the year of the Lord)
CB (NT) Christian Bible (New Testament)
Acts Acts of the Apostles
Col Letter to the Colossians
1 Cor First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians
2 Cor Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians
Eph Letter to the Ephesians
Gal Letter of Paul to the Galatians
Heb Letter to the Hebrews
John John’s Gospel
1 John First Letter of John
Luke Luke’s Gospel
Mark Mark’s Gospel
Matt Matthew’s Gospel
Phil Letter of Paul to the Philippians
Rev Revelation
Rom Letter of Paul to the Romans
2 Tim Second Letter to Timothy
Titus Letter to Titus
HB (OT) Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)
1 Chr First Book of Chronicles
Deut Deuteronomy
Exod Exodus
Ezek Ezekiel
Hag Haggi
Isa Isaiah
Jer Jeremiah
Lam Lamentations
Mal Malachi
Ps(s) Psalm(s)
Prov Proverbs
Zech Zechariah
OT (A) Old Testament (Apocrypha)
Bar Baruch
Sir Sirach
Wis Wisdom (of Solomon)
par(s). paragraph(s)
+(with a year) year of death
Notes on the Bible and The Roman Missal
The Bible
The Bible is divided into two parts: The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the Christian Bible (New Testament). The Hebrew Bible consists of thirty-nine named books accepted by Jews and Protestants as Holy Scripture. The Old Testament also contains those thirty-nine books plus seven to fifteen more named books or parts of books called the Apocrypha or the Deuterocanonical Books; the Old Testament is accepted by Catholics and several other Christian denominations as Holy Scripture. The Christian Bible, consisting of twenty-seven named books, is also called the New Testament; it is accepted by Christians as Holy Scripture. Thus, in this work:
•Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), abbreviated HB (OT), indicates that a book is found both in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament;
•Old Testament (Apocrypha), abbreviated OT (A), indicates that a book is found only in the Old Testament Apocrypha and not in the Hebrew Bible;
•and Christian Bible (New Testament), abbreviated CB (NT), indicates that a book is found only in the Christian Bible or New Testament.
In notating biblical texts, the first number refers to the chapter in the book, and the second number refers to the verse within the chapter. Thus, HB (OT) Isa 7:11 means that the quotation comes from Isaiah, chapter 7, verse 11. OT (A) Sirach 39:30 means that the quotation comes from Sirach, chapter 39, verse 30. CB (NT) Mark 6:2 means that the quotation comes from Mark’s Gospel, chapter 6, verse 2. When more than one sentence appears in a verse, the letters a, b, c, etc. indicate the sentence being referenced in the verse. Thus, HB (OT) 2 Kgs 1:6a means that the quotation comes from the Second Book of Kings, chapter 1, verse 6, sentence 1.
In the HB (OT) and the OT (A), the reader often sees LORD (note all capital letters). Because God’s name (Yahweh or YHWH, referred to as the Tetragrammaton) is not to be pronounced, the name Adonai (meaning Lord) is substituted for Yahweh when a biblical text is read. When a biblical text is translated and printed, LORD (cf. Gen 2:4) is used to alert the reader to what the text actually states: Yahweh. Furthermore, when the biblical author writes Lord Yahweh, printers present Lord GOD (note all capital letters for GOD; cf. Gen 15:2) to avoid the printed ambiguity of LORD LORD. When the reference is to Jesus, the word printed is Lord (note capital L and lower case letters; cf. Luke 11:1). When writing about a lord (note all lower case letters (cf. Matt 18:25) with servants, no capital L is used.
The Roman Missal
The Roman Missal is the book of prayers used by a priest or bishop when celebrating the Eucharist, commonly referred to as saying Mass. In 1970, following the close of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI issued a new Roman Missal in Latin replacing the one issued by Pope Pius V in 1570 after the close of the Council of Trent. The Missal of Paul VI was emended in 1971 and issued in English in 1974. In 1975, a second edition in Latin was issued by Paul VI; it was issued in English in 1985. A third edition of The Roman Missal was issued in Latin by Pope John Paul II in 2002 and emended in 2008; however, it was not until 2011 that The Roman Missal was issued in English. Thus, all references made to The Roman Missal in this book refer to the 2011 English edition listed in the bibliography of this work.
In alphabetical order, here are some terms used in The Roman Missal with which the reader may not be familiar:
Advent Season = The Advent Season begins on the First Sunday of Advent, the Sunday closest to November 30. The First Sunday of Advent is calculated by counting backward from whatever day of the week December 25 falls. The Sunday before December 25 is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the Sunday before that is the Third Sunday of Advent, etc. The First Sunday of Advent is always between November 27 and December 3.
Christmas Season = The Christmas Season begins after 4 p.m. on December 24 and lasts until the Baptism of the Lord, usually the second Sunday of Janaury, which falls between January 7 and 13.
Collect = This is the opening prayer of the Eucharist (Mass) introduced by the priest or bishop with Let us pray.
It collects all the prayers of the congregants into one general, all-inclusive prayer.
Common = For some celebrations all the parts of Mass texts are not given in the Proper of Saints section of The Roman Missal; the celebrant is referred to a Common: Common of the Dedication of a Church, Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Common of Martyrs, Common of Pastors, Common of Virgins, and Common of Holy Men and Women. The Common not only presents several selections from which to choose the missing Mass texts, but it is also subdivided. For example, the Common of Pastors is divided into five subsections: I. For a Pope or for a Bishop; II. For a Bishop; III. For Pastors; IV. For Founders of Churches; and V. For Missionaries. The subsections are often further divided; for example, subsection IV. For Founders of Churches is subdivided into two subsections: A. For One Founder and B. For Several Founders. Subsections of subsections may provide more than one set of Mass texts; these are indicated by 1, 2, 3, etc. Thus, the reader may find in this book the following: Common of Martyrs, A. For Several Martyrs, 2. The Mass texts missing from the Proper of Saints are taken from the Common of Martyrs, subsection II. During Easter Time, subsection A. For Several Martyrs, subsection 2. In the text of this work, the reference is listed as Common of Martyrs, II. During Easter Time, A. For Several Martyrs, 2.
Communion Antiphon = This is the communion song of the Mass. Often, it consist of a biblical verse or a gloss on a biblical verse; a gloss is an interpretative application of a biblical verse regardless of its historical context. In some instances, several parts of biblical verses are combined to form the antiphon, which often enhances the theme of the specific Mass and of the season. Usually, the antiphon is sung in between verses of a psalm.
Easter Season = This is a season that lasts for fifty days, beginning with Easter Sunday and ending with Pentecost Sunday. Easter is calculated according to the phases of the moon. It is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. Thus, Easter may be on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25.
Entrance Antiphon = This is the opening song of the Mass. Often, it consist of a biblical verse or a gloss on a biblical verse; a gloss is an interpretative application of a biblical verse regardless of its historical context. In some instances, several parts of biblical verses are combined to form the antiphon, which often sets the theme of the specific Mass and of the season. Usually, the antiphon is sung in between verses of a psalm.
Lenten Season = This is a season that begins with Ash Wednesday and lasts until the beginning of the Sacred Paschal Triduum on Holy Thursday evening. Because its beginning is calculated backward from Easter (see above), it may occur on any Wednesday from February 6 to March 10. The best way to know when Lent begins is by consulting a liturgical calendar.
Ordinary Time = The Season of Ordinary Time is divided into two parts. The first part occurs from the Monday after the Baptism of the Lord (the end of the Christmas Season) and ends on Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The second part begins on Monday after Pentecost and ends on Saturday before the First Sunday of Advent. The word Ordinary does not mean usual or customary. The name comes from the word ordinal, meaning counted Sundays and weeks. Thus, in the Season of Ordinary Time there are thirty-three or thirty-four numbered Sundays (Weeks), such as the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Prayer after Communion = This is a concluding prayer said by the priest or bishop after communion—the sharing of the body and blood of Christ—has finished.
Prayer over the Offerings = This is a prayer said by the priest or bishop after the gifts of bread and wine have been prepared, presented to God, and set on the altar.
Prayer over the People = This is a solemn form for blessing people. It is required on the Sundays of Lent and is recommended for the weekdays of Lent. At the priest’s discretion, a Prayer over the People may be used at any time during the liturgical year.
Preface = This prayer, introduced with dialogue between the priest or bishop and the congregants, praises and thanks God for something specific, such as the coming of Christ in glory or his nativity. It begins the Eucharist Prayer and concludes with the Holy, Holy, Holy Lord acclamation. When several choices are provided, they are numbered, such as, Preface I of Advent, Preface II of Advent, etc.
Saints = Days in honor of men and women of the past are assigned to various days throughout the liturgical year. These are ranked according to importance. The highest importance after the Sacred Paschal Triduum (see below) are most Sundays, followed by solemnities, followed by feasts, followed by memorials, followed by optional memorials. Very few optional memorials are treated in the chapter on saints. It is best to check a liturgical calendar to see when saints’ days are celebrated and when they are omitted because, for example, they come into conflict with a Sunday.
In this book, the saints (chapter 7) are divided into categories: Saints during Advent, Saints during Christmas, Saints during Ordinary Time: Part I, Saints during Lent, Saints during Easter, and Saints during Ordinary Time: Part II. These are general categories. Because the beginning of the liturgical seasons changes from year to year, the category the saint is in may not be accurate for a given year. For example, in most years the Feast of St. Andrew (November 30) is in Advent (where it is placed in this book), but there are years when it is in Ordinary Time: Part II. In most years, the Memorial of St. Scholastica (February 10) is in Ordinary Time: Part I (where it is placed in this book), but there are years when it falls in Lent. A liturgical calendar, either in paper form or online, will show the season in which the saint’s day is celebrated.
Sacred Paschal Triduum = The high point of the Liturgical Year are the three—triduum—days which begin on Holy Thursday evening and last until Easter Sunday evening. Since liturgical time is counted from evening to evening, Holy Thursday to Good Friday is one day; Good Friday to Holy Saturday is one day; and Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday is one day. Thus, the three days mark the Last Supper, Jesus’ death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead.
General Notes
All prayers of any kind in The Roman Missal are specified for every day of the liturgical year. Thus, in this book one may find a reference to Monday of the First Week of Advent; this means that a set of prayers for the Eucharist on Monday of the First Week of Advent is provided. A set consists of an Entrance Antiphon (opening song), Collect (opening prayer), a Prayer over the Offerings (prayer over the gifts of bread and wine), a Preface (specific thanksgiving), a Communion Antiphon (song during communion), and a Prayer after Communion (concluding prayer). During Lent, a Prayer over the People (extended blessing) is provided for each set. And on Sundays and some Solemnities and Feasts a Solemn Blessing may be recommended. The Collect, the Prayer over the Offerings, and the Prayer after Communion are usually addressed to God through Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit. For those interested, a footnote indicates the page or pages where a set of prayers can be found in The Roman Missal edition used in the writing of this book.
When commemorating saints, a rank is presented: Solemnity, Feast, Memorial, or Optional Memorial. A solemnity, a feast, and a memorial often take precedence over an Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time weekday, but not over an Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, or Ordinary Time Sunday; it is best to check a liturgical calendar to be sure what is being celebrated on a given day. When saints’ days fall on an Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, or Ordinary Time Sunday, they are usually omitted for that year. An optional memorial is one that is not required but may be chosen at the discretion of the individual.
Not all of the reflections in this book will be used in any single liturgical season. For example, the days of December 17–24 take precedence over the last days of the Third Week of Advent, but not the Fourth Sunday of Advent. When December 26 through 31 occurs on a Sunday, that day is replaced with the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. In some years, when the Solemnity of the Epiphany on a Sunday is followed on Monday with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, some of the days from Monday through Saturday Before/After Epiphany are omitted. When March 19 or March 25 falls on a day of Holy Week, the solemnity is moved to the second Monday after Easter. When August 15 or November 1 falls on a Sunday in Ordinary Time, the solemnity is celebrated, and the Sunday in Ordinary Time is omitted. The best way to determine what day is being marked in the liturgical year is to use a liturgical calendar, either in a print edition or online.
Introduction
Title
The title of this book, Very Short Reflections—for Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, Ordinary Time, and Saints—through the Liturgical Year, accurately describes its contents. Chapter 1 presents a short reflection for every day of the Advent Season. Chapter 2 does the same for every day of the Christmas Season. Lent is covered in chapter 3, the Sacred Paschal Triduum in chapter 4, and the fifty days of the Easter Season in chapter 5. Chapter 6 covers Ordinary Time. And chapter 7 presents a short reflection for every solemnity, feast, and memorial of saints, whose special day falls during the liturgical year.
The short reflections are based on sets of Mass texts—Entrance Antiphon, Collect, Prayer over the Offerings, Preface, Communion Antiphon, Prayer after Communion, and Prayer over the People—presented for every day of Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, Ordinary Time, and Saints in The Roman Missal. The reflection identifies the theme of the day and presents how it is manifested in the Mass texts. Usually, reflections for Advent and Christmas and Lent and Easter are based on the biblical texts assigned for every day. However, a little known fact is that reflection may be based on the Mass texts for a given day.¹ These short reflections are designed to expose the liturgical spirituality that emanates from the Mass texts.
The focus of the first two weeks of Advent is on the second coming of Christ in glory. Only on December 17 does the focus change to immediate preparation to celebrate Jesus’ birth, even though his return in glory continues to permeate the Mass texts through the remainder of Advent and into the Christmas Season. During the two to three weeks of Christmas, the focus begins with his birth, moves on to his manifestation or epiphany, and concludes with his baptism. The liturgical spirituality that flows from these six weeks gives us unexpected delight.
Lent is focused on penance and baptism; it is a time of retreat, when people prepare to celebrate the Sacred Paschal Triduum and the Easter Season. Beginning with Easter Sunday the Easter season lasts for fifty days; it concludes with Pentecost Sunday. Its seven weeks are considered to be one joyful and exultant feast day celebrating Christ’s resurrection.
The thirty-three or thirty-four weeks remaining in the liturgical calendar are referred to as Ordinary Time; they are divided into two parts: the five to nine weeks between the end of the Christmas Season and the beginning of Lent, and the seven to thirty-three or thirty-four weeks between the end of the Easter Season and the beginning of Advent. Also, throughout the liturgical year, there occur special days in honor of saints.
Liturgical Spirituality
The word spirituality attempts to capture the heart of what it means to be in relationship with God.
² Liturgical spirituality fosters that relationship through the Mass texts assigned to the seasons and saints throughout the year. According to White, The Christian spiritual path has at its center the opening up of our hearts to the Spirit of God, so that rooted in the Divine mystery, we may fall more and more in love with the source of life.
³ Of course, reflective prayer of any kind plays a central role in spirituality—especially liturgical spirituality—because it brings us into the transforming presence of an all-embracing God.
⁴ Throughout the liturgical year, the Mass texts connect us and keep connecting us in deeper and deeper levels, helping us to realize that God is all in all
(1 Cor 15:28).
The goal of all spirituality—personal transformation that flows from the individual out into the community—begins with our awareness that we are already one with God. By listening to another—in this case reading my words—the seeds for further transformation are planted. As they take root and begin to sprout, the reader delves ever deeper into liturgical-year spirituality as it is presented in The